Automatic inflating device



' Sept 25 1923. lg'ml H. F. WHITTED ET Al. j

AUTOMATIC INFLATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 9. 1922 WHA/58858 h WDQOI /NvE/vToRs da@ F .6. Shulze,

Wvm www2@ aient Sept.. `2, -1923.,

CALIFORNIA.

mr scnULzn, or emersione.

' *AUTGMATIC INFLATING DEVICE.

Application led Novemberl, 1922." Serial No. 599,872.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, HOWARD F. Wnrrrnn and FRANK G. SoHULzn, citizens of the United States, and residents of Santa Paula, in the county of Ventura and State of California, have invented certain new and useful v Improvements in Automatic Inlating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to infiating devices and is more particularly directed to a device for automatically controlling the sup- Y ply of fluid under pressure to tires.

An object of the invention is the provision of a device which will permit the flow of airunder pressure to a tire and which will automatically cut-off the flow of air when the pressure in the tire has advanced to the maximum desired in the tire..

` A further object of the invention is' the provision of a device for controllin fluid under pressure to an inflatable artic e and which device is capable of being set to automatically cut olf the flow of Huid pressure when the pressure in the article has reached the limit of pressure contemplated for the article.

Other objects and ob'ects relating to details of construction will be hereinafter de- 90 scribed. Y

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which, Y

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the automatic iiuid control.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a casing which is of c lindrical shape and is provided with an out et tube 2 having a passage 3 connected with the chamber 4 formed within the casing 1. A cap or closure has a reduced threaded upper portion engageable with the internal threads on the lower open end ot the-casing 1. The cap 5 provides an air-tight closure for the lower end of the chamber 4. The cap is provided with a tube 6 'having an inlet passage 7 leadin into a' small cylindrical chamber 8 forme within the cap 5. e Y

A threaded plug 9 is screwed into a threaded openin vin the cap 5 for closing the chamber 8 rom the atmosphere. The plug 9 likewise provides means for inspecting certain parts located within the chamber 4 after the removal of the cap 5. Within the.

12 which, when closed,cuts 0E the air underl pressure from the ber 4.

Astem 13 of the valve the bottom of a cage 14.

A stem 15 disposed centrally of the chamber 4 is inserted through a passage inthe upper end of the cage 14 and provided with a disc 16 rigidly mounted at its lower end with the disc slidablewithin the cage 14. A spring '17 surrounding the stem 15 'and pressing' against the under face of the top of the cage 14 and' upon the top of the disc 16, tends to maintain the disc 16 at the bottom of the cage 14.

The upper end of the stem 15 is slidable within a central passage within a plug 18 which forms a guidefor the upper end of the stem. Loosely mounted midway of the ends of the stem 15 is a metal disc 19 .which is slidable within the chamber 4 and is maintained in its lowermost position by means of a compression spring 20, the upper end of which engages the lower end of the plug 18, while the lower end of the spring engages the upper face of the disc 19.

Rigidly secured to the stem 15 and having its upper face in engagement with the lower face of the disc 19 is a cup 21 movable with the stem 15 and forming an air-tight piston within the chamber 4,

A keeper22 is pivotally mounted at 23 on a bracket arm 24 whichis integrally formed with the cap 5 and removable therewith. A spring 25 connected with the bracket 24 engages with the keeper22 for maintaining the notch 26 in engagement with the upper end of the ca e is adapted to e engaged by the conical enlargement 28 formed on the stem 15 when said stem is moved upwardly whereby the passage 7 to the cham- 12 is screwed into 14. A toe 27 ofthekeeper toe 27 is moved outwardly and likewise the keeper 22 for releasing the notch or shoulder 26 from its engagement with thecage- 14.-

A dial 29, shown in Figure v2, is-formed on the top of the casing 1 and'provided with a scale to designate the number'of pounds of air pressure which may be had within the chamber 4 by the setting of the hand or pointer 30 to one of the numbers indicated on the dial.

The operation of the' device is as follows:

Air is admitted to the passage 7 of the tube 6 from the sourceof duid under pressure whence said air will escape past valve 12 through the port in the plug 10 and into chamber 4 then out through assage 3 of tube 2. As the pressure within the tube, and likewise the chamber 4, is advanced, the air will act upon the piston 21 and force said piston and valve stem 15 upwardly. `Disc 16,

.which is connected with stem 15, will likewise be moved upwardly `against Ithe ytension of the spring 17, while piston 21 and disc 19 are moved upwardly against the tension of spring 20. The keeper 22, through the shoulder 26, maintains the cage 14 in the position shown in Figure 1, while disc 16, stem 15- and pistn 21 are moving upwardly.

'llhe continued upward movement of the stem causes the enlargement 28 to force the toe 27 and keeper 22 outwardly until the shoulder 26 of said keeper has been released from its engagement with the cage 14 whereby the spring .17 will immediately act to force the cage 14 'upwardly and close the valve 12 tight upon its seat 11 and thereby prevent further air from the passage 7 being admitted to the chamber 4 and likewise to the tire.

llt is to be understood that before the tire; has been inflated or before the tire has' been connected with the automatic control, the pointer is moved to the number on the dial which indicates the pressure desired.

When. the pointer is moved to increase the pressure from zero to any desired pressure, the spring 2O is compressed, thereby requiring a greater pressure. to move the piston 21 upwardly in the chamber 4. The reverse' movement of the pointer 30 will require less pressure for automatically causing the valve 12 to be closed, through piston 21, since less pressure has been placed upon the upper surface of piston 21 by the release of the compressionon spring 20.

^ What we claim as new is:

- 1. ln-a duid pressure control, a cylindricalcasing, a Huid-tight piston movable within the casing, `a stem secured centrally to the piston and 'Qmovable longitudinally of the casing', a cage slidable on the stem, a disc on the lower end of the stem and slidable within the cage, a spring within the cage adapted to resist opposite movements of the stem relative to the cage, a closure for the-bottom ofv the' casing provided with a chamber, a port connecting said chamber with the caslng, a valve operatively connected with the cage adapted to close the port between the chamber in the closure and the casing, means ,meteor 2. ln a fluid pressure control, a cylindrical casing, a Huid-tight piston movable within the casing, a stem secured centrally` to the piston and movable longitudinally of the casing, a cage slidable on the stem, a disc on the lower end of the stem and slidable within the cage, a spring within the cage adapted to reslst opposite. movements of the stem relative to the cage,'a closure for the bottom of the casing-provided.with a chambera port connecting said chamber with the casing, a valve operatively connected with the cage adapted to close the port between the chamber in the cap closure and the casing, means connecting the chamber in said cap closure with' a source of duid under pressure, a spring pressed keeper engageable with the cage for maintaining` the cage locked in its lowermost position and the valve in open position, a conical enlargement on' the piston stem engageable with the cae when the piston has been moved upwar y by a predetermined pressure in the casing, a spring resisting the upward movement ol the piston, a plugv having a threaded engagement with an opening in the top ing and adapted when screwed into the casing for compressing the last mentloned spring to increase the resistance to the upward movement of the piston, a dial on the top of the casing provided with a scale indi'- cating degrees of pounds pressure, and a pointer on the last mentioned plug adapted to pass over the scale when the plug is screwed into the casing for indicating the pressure of the fluid desired within the casing and which pressure is exerted a ainst the piston to cause the keeper to be re eased for closing the valve. f l

3. ln a Huid pressure control, a caslng closed at one end, a cap having a threaded engagement with the open end of the casin and having threaded openings in its top an bottom, a chamber formed within the cap, a removable plug having a threaded engagement with the o ening at the bottom ci the cap, aplug having a threaded engagement with the opening at the top of the cap and provided with a port connecting the casing with the chamber in the cap, said chamber being in open communication with a source of duid under pressure, a valve in communication with the port for controlling admisof the castta raeaaoa sion of the Huid from the chamber in the cap to the casing, and means within the casing automatically operated by the fluid under pressure for actuating the valve to closing position 'when the pressure within the casing reaches a predetermined degree.

4. In a fluid pressure control, a chamber provided with an inlet and outlet for fluid under pressure, a valve for controlling the flow of Huid pressure to the chamber, means acted upon by the fluid pressure tending to close 'the valve, means for restraining the closing means, and means operated by the closing means for causing the restraining means to become inactive and permit actuation of the closing means for moving the valve to closed posltion and cutting olf the fluid under pressure to the chamber.

5. In a fluid pressure control, a chamber provided with an outlet and inlet for fluid under pressure, a valve for controlling the How of Huid pressure to the chamber, means acted upon by the iuid pressure. tending to close the valve, means for restrainin the closing means and mpvable indepen ently of the closing means, and means operated by the closing means for causing the restraining means to become inactive, and means adapted to cooperate with the closing means upon the restraining means becoming inactive to cause closing of the valve.

6. In a Huid pressure control, a cylindrical casing, a Huid-tight piston movable within the casin a stem secured centrally to the piston an movable longitudinally of the casing, a cage slidable on the stem, a disc on the lower end of the stem and slidable within the cage, a spring within the cage adapted to resist opposite movements of the stem relative to the cage, a closure :for the bottom of the casing provided with a chamber,'a port connecting said chamber with the casing, a valve operatively connected with the cage adapted to close the port between the chamber in the closure and the casing, means connecting the chamber and the cap closure with a source of Huid under pressure, a spring pressed keeper engageable with the cage for maintainmg the cage locked in its lowermost position and the valve in open position, a conical enlargement on the piston stem engageable with the keeper for releasing the keeper from its engagement with the cage when the piston is moved upwardly by a predetermined pressure in the casing, and means resisting the closing means, and means for varying the resistance of the' last mentioned means whereby various pressures within the Ichamber may be maintained before the valve is closed.

7. In a Huid pressure control, a chamber provided with an inlet and outlet for Huid under pressure, a valve for controlling the flow of Huid pressure to the chamber, means acted upon by the fluid pressure tending to close the valve, resilient means connectin the valve to the fluid pressure actua-te means in a manner to provide independent movements of the valve and the first mentioned means, means for restraining the fluid pressure actuated means to delay closing the valve, and means for causing the restraining means to become inactive whereby the fluid pressure actuated means may be operated to close the valve.

8. ln a fluid ressure control, a chamber provided with inlets and outlets for fluid under preure, a valve forcontrolling the How of fluid pressure to the chamber, and means acted upon by fluid pressure tending to close the valve, movable means for restraining the closing means, and means op erated by the closing means for moving the restrainin means to an inactive position whereby t e closing means may be actuated to operate the valve and cut olf luid pressure to the chamber.

HOWARD FERRIS WHITTED. FRANK GERHARDT SCHULZE. Witness:

W. M. Runen. 

